Flexible coupling.



C. E. TOWNLEY.

FLEXIBLE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.25. I916.

1,224,690. Patented May1,1917.

A TTORNEYS CHARLES E. TOWNLEY, 0F DRYDEN, NEW YORK.

FLEXIBLE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May i, rem.

Application filed August 25, 1916. Serial No. 116,793.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. TOWN- LnY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Dryden, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Flexible Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention has for its object to provide a flexible coupling which is simple in construction, which may be coupled and uncoupled quickly, and which will automatically take up all wear:

The construction is such that one of the jaws with which one of the coupling members is provided is moved away from its companion jaw by the movement of an encircling collar in one direction and against the tension of a spring, the movement of the collar in the opposite direction serving to move the jaw in the direction of its companion member. A key is used to force the collar back to open the jaw, means be ing provided to lock the key against the collar with the jaws in open position.

Additional objects of the invention will appear in the following specification, in

which the preferred form of the invention is described.

In the drawings similar reference characters denote similar parts in all the views, in which Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view illustrating the device with the jaWs in open position' Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the member having the jaws; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the collar, and illustrating the cross pieceto which is attached the rod.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that two members are provided, which are referred to as 5 and 6, the member 6 being hollow and having a fixed jaw 7 and a transverse bearing 8 adjacent the said jaw 7, so that a knuckle 9 on a movable jaw 10 may be slid into the bearing 8 so that it will be disposed as illustrated in the drawings. There is an opening 11 in the member 6 at its connection with the jaw 7, and there is an opening 12 in the knuckle 9 which forms a continuation of the opening 11, so that a rod 13 may be disposed through the said openings 11 and 12 and may be secured to a plunger 14. This plunger 14 is held yieldingly extended by a spring 15 which abuts against a plug 16 in the hollow member 6 which forms a continuation of a pitman, this plug 16 being held in position by a pin 17 which is disposed through an orifice 18 in the hollow member 6 and an orifice 19 in the plug 16.

As has been described, the jaw 10 is adapted to move away from the jaw 7 so that the bearing 7 in the jaw 7 and a similar bearing in the jaw 10 may embrace a ball 20 which extends from and is mounted on a member 21 to which a tool or other" member 22 may be secured. The jaws 7 and 10 are held in position to embrace the ball 20, as illustrated in Fig. 1 by a collar 23 which is disposed around the jaws 7 and 10, and is pressed outwardly on the said jaws 7 and 10 by means of the rod 13, which is secured to a cross member 24 on the collar 23.

When it is desired to move the jaw 10 away from the jaw 7, so that the ball 20 may be freed from the said jaws, a key 25, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, is disposed with its end 27 extending downwardly in the forward portion 26 of the slot 26 in the ball 20, and with its laterally extending fulcrum pin 28 disposed in a bearing29 in the stationary jaw 7 of the member 6. This having been done, the outer end of the key 25 is pressed downwardly, which causes the end27 of the key 25 to press against the cross member 24 of the collar 23, which forces the collar 23 rearwardly and upwardly, the movement of the end 27 of the key 25 being limited by the stop 30 on the collar 23. When the end 27 of the key 25 has been pressed up to the stop 30, the key will be locked, with the collar 30 disposed rearwardly as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The rearward movement of the collar forces the jaw 10 away from the jaw 7 since the cross' member 24 is disposed between the jaws and presses them apartwith the rearward movement of the collar.

It will, therefore, be seen that the movement of the collar outwardly moves the jaw 10 in the direction of the jaw 7, and with the movement of the collar inwardly the cross member 24 with which the collar is provided forces the jaw 10 away from the It will be understood that the flexible coupling which has been described in this specification may be used as a thlll coupling, and

I for many other purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a flexible coupling, a member having two jaws one movable relatively to the other, a collar disposed around the jaws and having a cross member disposed between the jaws, there being a bearing in one of the jaws for a fulcrum pin, and another member having a projection normally embraced by the jaws, there being a slotin the projection for a key carrying a fulcrum pin for disposal in the bearing in the jaw, and there being a stop on the cross member for engagement by the key so that the key may be used to press back the collar.

2. In a flexible coupling, a hollow member having a head with an opening and provided with a jaw, a second jaw mounted on the member and movable relatively to the first jaw, a collar disposed around the jaws and provided with a cross piece, a spring in the hollow member, a rod disposed through the opening in the hollow member and connecting the cross piece with the spring, and another member having a projection adapted to be embraced by the jaws.

3. In a flexible coupling, a hollow member with a jaw, there being a transverse bearing in the member adjacent the jaw, a second jaw having a knuckle journaled in the bearing, there being a longitudinal opening in the member at the jaw, and there being a cut-away portion in the knuckle which forms an enlargement of the opening in the member, a collar disposed around the jaws, a spring in the hollow member, a rod connecting the spring with the collar, and a second member having a projection normally embraced by the jaws.

4:. In a flexible coupling, a member having two jaws one movable relatively to the other, a collar disposed around the jaws, another member having a projection normally embraced by the jaws, there being a bearing in the projection for the insertion of a key for pressing back the collar.

5. In a flexible coupling, a member having two jaws'one movable relatively to the other, a collar disposed around the jaws, there being a bearing in one of the jaws for a fulcrum pin, and another member having a projection normally embraced by the jaws, there being a slot in the projection for a key carrying a fulcrum pin for disposal in the bearing in the jaw, so that the key may be used to press back the collar.

6. In a flexible coupling, a member having two jaws one movable relatively to the other, a collar disposed around the jaws, there being a bearing in one of the j aws, another member having a projection normally embraced by the jaws, there being aslot in the projection, and an elongated key for disposal in the slot in the projection and having a lateral fulcrum pin for disposal in the bearing so that the key may be used as a lever for engaging the collar to press the collar rearwardly.

7. In a flexible coupling, a member having two jaws one movable relatively to the other, a collar disposed around the jaws and having a cross member disposed between the jaws, there being a bearing in one of the jaws, the cross member having a stop on the cross member so disposed that a fulcrum pin on a key may be disposed in the bearing and the key may be moved on the cross member against the stop vto lock the key with the collar in rearward position.

W. H. SOUTHWORTI-I, JEFF CORBIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

